1. Hardcore History
Since its formation in the late 70's and early 80's, hardcore music has been a style of music with extremely devoted and obsessive fans. As a result, it has created a close-knit heavily intertwined community, a community that apparently is nothing more than a bunch of pack rats. This makes the documentation of the different eras of hardcore easy to achieve. In previous years we have seen books and films like Get in the Van, American Hardcore, Radio Silence Our Band Could Be Your Life and New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye. 2009 saw the release of Burning Fight, as well a series of shows to celebrate its release, documenting the 90's hardcore world. In addition, there are a slew of zines (printed and web-based) and blogs documenting the history of hardcore.
2. DIY Labels
When I talk about DIY record labels, I am talking about independent labels - and I'm not talking about labels like Bridge Nine, No Idea, Deathwish Inc. or Hydra Head. And it's not that there is anything wrong with those labels, they all release quality music, but they're on a fairly advanced level. Rather, I mean small operations run out of house basements, dorm rooms, and apartments. There is an absurd amount of DIY record labels, spread out throughout the world ? I get releases from all parts of Asia, Europe, Russia, and Japan mailed to me for review. This is one of the many reason's why I love hardcore. Someone just decides to start a record label and release a band's 7" or CD or tape and it is a part of history.
3. House Shows
The sheer fact that house shows still happen is awesome. When hardcore first took off, there was a sever lack of venues that would touch the genre, so house shows were oftentimes the only route. Nowadays, you can go into any major city and find a mid-sized venue that caters to the hardcore crowd. Well, that's all fine and dandy, but nothing beats being crammed into a basement with a hundred other kids screaming your lungs out. Sure, you come out exhausted and covered in sweat, but the experience is beyond what words can describe to those fools at the corporately sponsored venue down the street.
4. Releases On All Formats
I realize that the era of the CD is supposedly over and gone. I realize that vinyl is the go-to way to release your music in these times. And yet, bands and labels are pushing music in any and all forms that they can. There are CD releases. There are vinyl releases. There are digital-only releases. There are cassette-tape releases. There are free-downloads. There are digital-hard drives. Heck, a lot of bands and labels are combining these together for their releases. This is truly an exciting time to be a fan of hardcore music because you can get a record in just about any way imaginable. While not hardcore, I know Cheap Trick is even releasing their new album on limited edition eight-track... who's up for that?
5. Reissues / Reunions
Reissues are becoming a lot more common these days. A lot of records that were released throughout the thirty-year existence of hardcore have gone out of print for whatever reasons they may be. As a result, present day labels are re-pressing these records, allowing a whole new generation of hardcore fans to bear witness to the music. The best part about these reissues is that a lot of them are being updated with new mastering, additional songs, live material, and lots of documentation in the liner notes. I'm a geek for the stories behind records, so the more commentary the better. Partnered with these reissues has been a slew of one-off reunions, or in some cases, full-blown reunions. Like with reissues, this can sometimes be a cash-grab. But, on the flip side, there is a genuine and sincere devotion to the music and the hardcore community by many of the groups that have reformed to play shows again. Besides, if you had the opportunity to see Unbroken play I think you would take it? I know I did.
(Michael)
